Mr Evans said: “You rang up his father and said ‘Steve, we’ve f***** up the iPad. It’s disabled.’”

DC Scrivens replied: “I certainly did not say that. The purpose of the conversation was to give him an opportunity to give the correct codes. I did not have the code for it and no further attempts were made on the device.”

The police officer also denied telling a colleague the iPad had been wiped before it had been sent off to a technical support unit to be analysed.

Smith, of Dukestown, Tredegar , denies two charges of perverting the course of justice.